Youthful Southern California Impresses at Seatown Classic

ISSAQUAH, Wash. – NCAA Division I
lacrosse returned to the Seattle area for a second year on Sunday,
and this time two Pac-12 schools that showed off the women's game
to local fans with USC and Oregon scrimmaging in a fall-ball
friendly at Issaquah High School.

With 13 new freshmen on the roster, USC coach Lindsey Munday,
was encouraged by the leadership test for her upper classmen,
especially with the play of attack/midfielder Caroline Cordrey and
goaltender Liz Schaefer, both sophomores that kept the Ducks at bay
throughout most of the scrimmage.

But it was the Southern California's freshman class that caught
the attention of the announced crowd of 1,196 including attacker
Kylie Drexel along with midfielders Alex Moore, Michaela Michael
and Nina Kelty.

"We're still young," said Munday who has 13 newcomers on a squad
that finished 8-10 in 2013. "(The game) gave us an opportunity to
look at our best combinations for the coming season," she said. "We
saw some nice things."

The exhibition was a homecoming for USC junior defender and
former All-State and All-American player at Eastside Catholic Alex
Foreman playing for the first time as a collegian in her home state
in front of many of her former high school teammates.

"It's pretty cool to see the whole (Eastside Catholic) team
here. I was excited to be a part of this," she said.

Another state player to see action on Sunday was sophomore Jacky
Hennegan, a 2012 graduate of Central Kitsap High School in
Bremerton.

For Hennegan, the matchup with Oregon was both a chance to work
on timing against a strong Division I opponent and get a feel for
her team's confidence going into the spring season.

"We came out really well," she said. "We were poised and
energetic. I thought we were able to play well together as a
team."

For the Ducks, who finished 8-9 in 2013, and struggled against
the Trojans defensive unit Sunday, it was the passing and
play-making of senior midfielder Shannon Probst that helped fuel
the offensive presence of midfielders Nikki Puscz and Devon
Frazer.

"All in all it was great to be in Seattle," Oregon head coach
Jen Beck said. "We were happy to have a friendly scrimmage in the
Seattle area."

About Lacrosse in Washington State

Lacrosse has over 100 years of history in Washington state with
clubs playing in the early 1900s and high schools now in their
fourth decade of state competition. With Native American origins,
lacrosse is one of the oldest organized sports on the continent and
today is considered the fastest growing sport in America. In
Washington state, some 4,000 student-athletes attending over 200
WIAA high schools play prep lacrosse, while another 6,000 play
lacrosse at the youth, adult and collegiate club levels throughout
the state.

LAX SHORTS

Sunday's NCAA Seatown Classic was the second NCAA Division I
lacrosse game played in Washington state in as many years. In 2012,
NCAA mens Division I schools Maryland and Denver played at
Tukwilla's Starfire Sports Complex with Denver prevailing 12-9.

Five Pac-12 schools offer women's lacrosse as a varsity sport.
Along with USC and Oregon, California, Stanford and Colorado also
play women's lacrosse.

Over 250 elementary, middle and high school aged students from
schools throughout the Puget Sound region participated in a
lacrosse skills clinic prior to Sunday's exhibition.

Six new members of the Washington State Lacrosse Hall of Fame
Class of 2013 were introduced for the first time at Sunday's NCAA
Seatown Classic; Dave Low of Bainbridge Island, Brandon Fortier of
Issaquah High School, Todd Thorpe of Tacoma, Jamie Asaka of
Seattle's Lakeside School, along with Maggie O'Sullivan and Steph
Terrien both of Seattle.